Abstract
This comprehensive and well-structured book is an elaboration of a doctoral thesis on identifying the barriers to building a trusted police service in China and India. The book provides ample empirical evidence from the field of policing and corruption studies which will be useful for developing more public-friendly policing services in India, China, and elsewhere. Another interesting fact is that the author makes valuable and thought-provoking comparisons of two different political systems. There are 10 chapters covering a variety of themes related to the different police administrative systems in the two countries with the fastest growing economies in the Asian region.
In Chapter 1, author George Lee lays the ground for the study by discussing the rationale for comparing India and China and how this study serves as a model for further comparative studies on policing in the two countries. Chapter 2 gives a comprehensive overview of contextual realities of the police system in India and China, while Chapter 3 provides information about the research methodology and procedures adopted for gathering empirical data, including interviews and surveys, and practical challenges faced by the researcher. Lee adopts a mixed method approach which is apt for a study that aims to understand the similarities and differences of two different systems. In addition, the methodology chapter provides an account of conducting cross-country research to gather empirical data, which not only helps readers but also young researchers conducting international cross-cultural studies to be cognizant of problems such as language, cultural, societal, and organizational barriers in accessing data.
In Chapter 4, George Lee examines the impact of economic modernization from the police officer’s perspective. He states that ‘increased demand for land and the increased value of land is the major source of confrontation between the police and public in both these countries’ (p. 61). Further, Lee also provides evidence of how reforms have affected police corruption/malpractice in India and China (p. 69) and its impact on governance in both countries (p. 76). Chapters 5 to 8 discuss various aspects of policing in India and China. This part of the book cites solid evidence from the literature and from the empirical data on people’s perceptions about police officials, police performance of official responsibilities, and factors that contribute to police corruption. To be specific, Chapter 5 makes it clear that Indian and Chinese citizens have less trust in their police force and that the respective national police administration should seriously take account of public response to malpractice and corruption which adversely affect their reputation. The concluding chapter documents interesting and valuable findings on the similarities and differences between the Indian and Chinese police force.
Lee states that ‘this book is a unique source of information on [the] police administrative system in two countries and especially this book brings in the less explored aspects of police corruption in the Chinese context’ (p. 1). A thorough reading of this book will help readers understand the impact of economic modernization on policing, the level of public trust in the police force, the persistence and current state of police corruption and malpractice, and finally the overall functioning of police administration in India and China. The author’s attempt to study the performance of the police service system in a country with a central-controlled administration is to be commended. In addition, the comparison of China’s policing system with that of India provides innumerable lessons to India’s administrative system and policymaking agency to reform its notably corrupt police service embroiled in fragmented clientele politics. Given the fact that the book examines much-needed reform of social welfare delivery, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding corruption across national boundaries and in different cultural, political, and economic contexts. The book is equally useful to the policymakers and administrators in India and China. Lastly, Lee is to be commended for a book that adds value to the comparative literature on India and China in general and corruption and policing in particular.